Students Defy Columbia University Order to Disband Encampment or Face Suspension, Possible Expulsion

Pro-Palestinian demonstrators hold a short rally after marching around the "Gaza Solidarity Encampment" in the West Lawn of Columbia University in New York City on April 29, 2024. Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images

Columbia University has started suspending students who have defied the university’s order to dismantle an encampment protesting Israel’s military operation in Gaza, according to a spokesperson.

“We have begun suspending students as part of this next phase of our efforts to ensure safety on our campus,” Ben Chang, vice president for communications and a spokesperson for Columbia University, said in an update on April 29, several hours after the 2 p.m. deadline to clear the encampment had passed.

In letter circulated on the morning of April 29, Columbia told protesting students to leave their tent encampment by 2 p.m. that day or face suspension.

“It is important for you to know that the university has already identified many students in the encampment,” the letter, a copy of which was obtained by The Epoch Times, reads. “If you do not leave by 2pm, you will be suspended pending further investigation.”

The deadline came and went, however, with the protesters refusing to budge. A meeting was held at the encampment shortly before 2 p.m., with protesters voting unanimously to remain, according to a Columbia University news blog.

Students supportive of the protest encircled the encampment, presumably to shield it from potential police intervention, according to video shared on social media.

A group of Columbia staff and faculty members wearing neon vests linked hands and created a wall to protect the encampment, per the Columbia University news blog and video footage shared on social media platforms.

New York City police were gathered near the scene, but it was unclear whether they were there in case the protest turned violent or were preparing to remove the encampment by force if called upon to do so by university officials.

The Columbia Students for Justice in Palestine account said in a post on social media platform X that hundreds of students had gathered for an “emergency rally to protect the Gaza Solidarity Encampment” on campus.

“We will continue until our demands are met. We will not be intimidated,” the group said.

The Columbia spokesperson said in his statement at about 5 p.m. that the encampment violated various university policies and that once disciplinary action was initiated against students, the severity of punishment would be determined based on the nature of the offense.

‘Notice to Encampment’

The letter to protesting students, titled “Notice To Encampment,” said that talks between university officials and student protest leaders were at an impasse and the unauthorized encampment and associated disruption to the campus is creating an “unwelcoming environment” and violates a number of policies, including regarding disruptive behavior and harassment.

Officials said in the letter that Columbia would provide an alternative venue for demonstrations after the exam period is finished. They added that if the encampment is not removed, officials will initiate disciplinary procedures against students involved in the encampment, starting with suspension but possibly even leading to expulsion.

“Please promptly gather your belongings and leave the encampment,“ the letter reads. ”If you voluntarily leave by 2 p.m., identify yourself to a University officials, and sign the provided form where you commit to abide by all University policies through June 30, 2025, or the date of the conferral of your degree, whichever is earlier, you will be eligible to complete the semester in good standing (and will not be placed on suspension) as long as you adhere to that commitment.”

Officials said they hoped the protesting students would sign the form and leave the encampment by the deadline. They warned that those who refused to leave and sign the form promising to comply with the school’s policies and agreeing to be put under a period of disciplinary probation may face a range of actions.

“Sanctions include probation, access restriction, suspension for a term or more and expulsion,” the letter reads.

Mr. Chang clarified in his update that students who refuse to sign the form and leave the encampment “will be placed on suspension, ineligible to complete the semester or graduate, and will be restricted from all academic, residential, and recreational spaces.”

It’s unclear what other actions the school was prepared to take if the protesters remained past the deadline. Last week, two deadlines Columbia imposed on protesters to remove their tents passed without an agreement, with officials citing progress in talks.

The threat of sanctions if students don’t leave the encampment on April 29 came after Columbia University president Minouche Shafik said in an April 29 statement that talks with student leaders of the tent protest had broken down.

Former President Donald Trump has weighed in on the controversy, taking to social media to post, “STOP THE PROTESTS NOW!!!”

‘Hostile Environment’

So far, efforts to dismantle the encampment have failed.

Ms. Shafik has faced an outcry from many students, faculty, and outside observers for summoning New York City police to take down the unauthorized encampment, resulting in more than 100 arrests.

Protesters have vowed to keep their encampment unless three demands are met: separation from Israel by the university, transparency in Columbia’s finances, and amnesty for students and staff disciplined for taking part in the protests.

Ms. Shafik said in her April 29 statement that Columbia would not divest holdings in Israel but that the university has offered to publish a process for students to access a list of its direct investment holdings, in the interest of transparency. Columbia has also offered to make investments in health and education in Gaza. And the letter sent to protesters promises an amnesty of sorts.

She said that the campus has been roiled by divisions over the war in Gaza and that, despite the fact that the school has provided space for protests and vigils that did not disrupt academic life, the encampment has gone too far.

“We must take into account the rights of all members of our community,” she wrote. “The encampment has created an unwelcoming environment for many of our Jewish students and faculty. External actors have contributed to creating a hostile environment in violation of Title VI, especially around our gates, that is unsafe for everyone—including our neighbors.”

“With classes now concluding, it represents a noisy distraction for our students studying for exams and for everyone trying to complete the academic year,” she continued, adding that Columbia would allow protests to continue on campus—by application with two days’ notice in authorized locations—after the exam period and commencement.

“We have no intention of suppressing speech or the right to peaceful protest,” Ms. Shafik wrote, adding that the protesting students had been asked to commit to following the university’s rules, including those on the time, place, and manner of demonstrations.

“We urge those in the encampment to voluntarily disperse.”

It comes as a group of 21 House Democrats criticized the “anti-Israel, anti-Jewish” encampment at Columbia in an April 29 letter to the school’s trustees.

“We, the undersigned, write to express our disappointment that, despite promises to do so, Columbia University has not yet disbanded the unauthorized and impermissible encampment of anti-Israel, anti-Jewish activists on campus,” the lawmakers said in their letter.

“As a result of this disruption on campus, supported by some faculty members, many students have been prevented from safely attending class, the main library, and from leaving their dorm rooms in an apparent violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act.”

The group is led by Reps. Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.) and Dan Goldman (D-N.Y.), notable because condemnation of the protests has come mostly from GOP leaders. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and Republican colleagues visited the campus last week and called for Ms. Shafik to resign.

Chase Smith contributed to this report. This article has been updated with information about the encampment’s continuing past the deadline, and with the Columbia spokesperson’s remarks.